A Birthday for Asparagus
by Sanya Aranel
Summary: It's Asparagus' birthday, and Bomba, Cass, Jemima, Pouncival, Misto, and Rumpelteazer decide to surprise him! This is a story I wrote for a fanfic contest. Hope you enjoy! R&R, please, etc.
1. Morning!

Bombalurina squinted into the morning sun. Her mind still drowsy, but bodily awake, she stood up and stretched her paws out in front of her. She crawled out of her den and, blinking, wondered to herself what day it was (she never could remember that sort of thing, after all, it changes every morning) and whether or not any toms were awake yet. Looking around at the sunlit Junkyard, she eyed Cassandra strutting alone across the centre for a bath in a particularly warm-looking patch of sunlight. Normally Bombalurina wasn't the best of friends with the queen, but seeing as Cassandra had done nothing to upset her yet that morning Bomba padded sleepily over toward her. She sat down beside Cassandra and addressed her casually.

"'Morning, Cass. What day is it today, d'you know?"

Cassandra eyed her haughtily; she disliked being interrupted, especially from a bath. "Today's Sunday," she offered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Bombalurina watched her own tail curl about her knees. "Oh."

There was what Cassandra considered to be an awkward and unintelligent pause. She searched to fill it. "I believe it is also Asparagus' birthday today."

Bombalurina stretched her forepaws again. "Oh, s'that so?"

Cassandra sniffed, there was obviously no carrying an intelligent conversation with the scarlet queen. "Yes," she stressed, "It is. It was the same day last year, and now it's come again."

"Oh." Bomba scanned the Junkyard again, _rats, still no toms awake._ "I don't see how you remember those. Dates, and such. I can never keep track."

Cassandra was liking the inattentive Bombalurina less all the time. "Somecats are intelligent enough to keep track of these things. My humans have a calendar and th-"

"Wait, Asparagus' birthday?" Bomba interrupted, frowning. "Doesn't that mean we should get him... a present or something?"

Cassandra thought for a moment. "Well, yes. I suppose we should. That's what humans do on birthdays."

Bomba stood up, her drowsiness clearing with the prospect of something to do all day. "C'mon, let's go find him a present." She bounded off eagerly. Cassandra followed, looking back longingly at her sun-patch.

Bombalurina hadn't got far when she came almost nose-to-nose with Jemima, who blinked, but otherwise didn't appear to have been startled.

"Hello, Bomba, what's the hurry?" Jemima hadn't seen any toms in the direction Bombalurina had been running, which was enough to make anycat wonder what the hurry was.

"Today is Asparagus' birthday," the scarlet queen announced. "We're finding him a birthday present."

"Whoa!" A yelp and skidding sounds announced the Pouncival tumbling after Jemima. He leapt up and brushed himself off next to the pretty queen. "Gussy's having a birthday?"

"Today," nodded Bombalurina. Cassandra rolled her eyes.

"Can I get him a present too?"

"Of course you may," Cassandra said hastily. She wanted to move things along, and hated it when cats had to repeat themselves.

"Can I get him one too?" Mistoffelees bounded up lithely beside Pouncival. He grinned, Asparagus was his favourite out of all the older toms.

"Yes," sighed Cassandra. She wondered whether every Jellicle under Heaviside would soon be running to ask the same question.

"Fantastic!" Misto performed a little spin of excitement in the air.

"Come on," Pouncival urged. "Let's make it a surprise!"

The small party plodded on toward the gates of the Junkyard, Pouncival pranced and Mistoffelees strutted, both vying for Jemima's attention. Jemima giggled and pretended not to notice either of them. When they all arrived at the 'Yard entrance the sat down for a quick conference.

"Right." Cassandra stood up, deciding to take charge. After all, it was she who remembered what day it was. "Let's split up to look for presents for Asparagus."

"I'll look around my house," suggested Jemima.

"I'll search mine too," decided Bombalurina.

"Good idea," Cassandra told the wide-eyed kitten. "And I as well, my humans are bound to have something."

"I'll be about the Junkyard," volunteered Pouncival, already looking like he knew where to start.

"Can I look with Pounce?" Misto scooted over toward him.

"Certainly. Are we all ready, then?"

They all nodded in agreement. Pounce and Misto shot off eagerly without awaiting further words. Cassandra was slightly miffed, but carried on.

"Alright, let's be sure to meet back here by the afternoon so we can all see what we've got. Then we can all go and surprise him together."

"Alright." Jemima pattered off toward her humans' house. Bomba turned and left for her own house.

Cassandra, satisfied, made ready to leave for her humans' house as well, but not before finishing her bath.


	2. What to bring?

Jemima trotted inside her house, her tail bobbing as she went. She wandered over to where her owner was standing in the kitchen.

"Hello!" she mewed, winding about their legs.

Her human laughed and cooed something, and laid a dish of cream before the kitten. Jemima mewed gratefully and began to drink it. About halfway through her delicious treat she remembered why she had come. What to give Asparagus? She licked the cream off her nose and padded over to the soft, fluffy nest her humans had bought her, and that she never used. There was a small assortment of toys inside, and she pawed through them. She looked lovingly on her favourite stuffed mouse... _Aw, catnip. I couldn't give that up._ She instead selected her second favourite plaything, a colourful ball with a bell inside that jingled musically when it was tossed or rolled. Jemima smiled sweetly, and picking it up her her mouth, slunk out the door.

* * *

Pouncival slid across the Junkyard floor and turned to face Misto in a playful crouch. Mistofelees plodded up next to him, acting dignified.

"Here, lets split up and look for things," suggested the tuxedo tom. "I'll go here, you look there." He pointed to their newly assigned halves of the Junkyard.

"Right!" Pouncival bounded across the floor and dove into and promising-looking pile of rubbish. He heard the clanking and crashing noises of Mistofelees rummaging through his pile.

"Found anything yet?" called Misto's voice from behind his mountain.

"Nope," Pounce held his breath against the stink and dug deeper.

Mistofelees seemed to have located something that pleased him. "Ha!" he said confidently, and resumed digging. Pounce was beginning to feel a bit disheartened, having found nothing. He turned around and spotted Rumpelteazer, lying curled on her back, feet in the air. She was quietly rummaging through the contents of a striped pillowcase: her sack of loot, no doubt.

"Teazer?"

She started guiltily at the sound of her name, stowing her sack behind her back. "Oh, hi, Pounce." She sat up, wrinkling her nose. "Yuck, yew smell loike rubbish, wot're yew lootin' about in there for?"

Pouncival had to concentrate to hear her words through her thick accent. "We're looking for a present for Asparagus, today's his birthday, you know." He scratched an ear with his hind paw.

"Gussy's birfday? 'Ow old is 'e?" She perked up, interested.

Pounce tilted his head to one side and thought a moment. "I dunno. Older than Skimble, I reckon... but younger than Old Deuteronomy."

"Oh, a'roight." Teazer jumped to her feet. "I always loiked 'Sparagus, he's noice tah me, lotsa the older Jellicles don' loike me vury well." She scrunched up her nose. Jellylorum came to Pouncival's mind.

"Well, perhaps you should get him a present too."

Rumpelteazer smiled. "Good idea!" She paused for a short second to think. "Oi know just what tah get 'im! Oi'll be back, g'bye, Pounce!" She shot off in a streak of ginger and gold tabby, still holding her pillowcase sack.

Pouncival twitched his tail in thought. Then he summersaulted into the rubbish pile and continued searching.

* * *

Cassandra scratched lazily at her door, stretching as she scraped her claws along the wood. Her human came to the door and let her inside. She meowed and her owner gave her a few strokes on the back. Knowing that her human always left the house right before lunchtime, she decided to wait. She could find the best thing for a present if there were no humans to shoo her off the tabletops or out of rooms. Cassandra curled up on her favourite chair in the sitting room and went to sleep.

When she awoke she found her human gone, and lunch left out in her dish. She jumped down off the chair and ate, savouring each mouthful leisurely. When she had finished Cassandra licked her lips and set off down the hallway.

She jumped on her owner's bed, also a good spot for a nap, and surveyed the room. Hopping on top of the dresser, she took a moment to admire herself in the mirror. She gave her face a quick, superfluous wash, and continued her search. Picking her way through jewelry and trinkets, she found something that caught her eye. Cassandra picked it up out of a small tin, and jumped off the dresser.

She walked to the door, and then stopped to examine her treasure. It was a pink, round, fluffy thing, about the size of a human's hand. She dabbed a paw at it, and a bit of white powder puffed out of it. Sniffing it, she deemed it to be a perfect gift, it even smelled nice. Picking it back up in her jaws, she set off for the Junkyard again.


	3. Look What We've Found!

Cassandra stepped through the front gates of the Jellicles' Junkyard. Jemima was already waiting for everyone to return, she looked up and smiled politely at Cassandra. Slowly cats began to return from their ventures. Bombalurina came, holding whatever it was she'd brought behind her back. After a few moments of waiting, Pouncival and Mistoffelees came, dragging what they'd brought along. Then came Rumpelteazer, holding her sack, but looking a little uneasy.

Cassandra acknowledged Rumpelteazer's arrival, and began their slightly secret meeting. "Well, we're all here, lets all show each other what we've brought."

Jemima produced her colourful ball. "I've brought him my ball, it jingles when you play with it!" She demonstrated by batting the colourful ball back and forth a few times.

"Excellent," Cassandra relaxed a bit. "Bomba?"

Bombalurina held forth a silky red ribbon with gold embroidered on the edges. Cassandra sniffed and raised a brow at it.

"What?" Bomba turned to her defensively. "It's very pretty, I thought he'd like it."

"Yes, lovely," Cassandra turned her nose up at it. She looked expectantly to Pouncival and Mistoffelees.

Pounce shuffled forth. "Here it is. We made it!" He proudly showed their present they'd constructed from junk they'd found. It was made of an old empty tin can, beginning to rust, which had a yellow string tied to it. The string of yarn was also connected to a box.

"Iz that a birfday box?" Rumpelteazer came over to examine it.

"Well," Misto picked it up, upside-down. "It says, 'Shredded Wheat'."

Teazer wrinkled her nose. "Wot's that?"

"I dunno."

Teazer peered curiously at the box, and pawed at the edges. "But it c'n be a birfday box fer 'Sparagus, yeah?"

"Yes, of course," Pouncival said confidently. "We made him this present."

"Ollroight." Teazer poked her head inside the can.

Cassandra, thoroughly uninterested by the contraption, proceeded to move matters along. She produced the powder-puff she had salvaged from her human's things. "I've got him this. It even smells nice."

Jemima dabbed at it with a paw. On the hardest poke it released a puff of chalky powder, and Jemima sneezed.

"What _is_ it?" Bomba stared at the pink, poofy ball.

"I don't know what it's _called_," Cassandra told her haughtily. "It's some silly human thing. But think how useful it could be."

Pouncival sniffed it gingerly. "What sort of things could Asparagus use it for?"

Cassandra pretended she hadn't heard him. "Rumpelteazer, what have you brought?"

Teazer shifted her weight from paw to paw, looking uncomfortable.

"Well?" Cassandra prompted. "You _did_ get Asparagus a birthday present, did you not?"

"Er- well, see..." Rumpel brought forth her striped sack. She sighed resignedly. "Oi went an' pinched a pheasant from the neighbours' howse for 'Spar'gus."

Cassandra, who did not approve of burgling in general, smiled encouragingly. "That's a wonderful gift. It sounds delicious."

Rumpelteazer's eyes widened guiltily. "Yeah, well... It does smell wunnerful. Er, did." Her stomach growled.

Cassandra inhaled sharply. "What? What do you mean, 'did'?"

"Well, see," she dumped her sack out on the ground. A few leftover scraps of bird and a cluster of feathers tumbled out.

Bombalurina stood up, her tail straight and indignant. "You ate it!?"

"Well, yeah. Oi was so 'ungry." Rumpelteazer picked at the remains with a paw. "But here's some noice feathers leftovah," she added.

"Here," Jemima stood up and walked over to the embarrassed queen. She started to gather up the feathers together and scraped away the bones. Teazer smiled weakly, whiskers still drooping.

Cassandra bristled; this wasn't at all going as it was supposed to. She gathered her composure. "Erm, well, humans usually have cake or a feast," she shot a reproachful look at Rumpelteazer, who's ears fell despondently, "so I thought we should all give him something together, like a cake or something of the sort."

Misto stepped forward hesitantly, "Pounce and I found a great piece of paper I thought we could use." He ran over, cutting through the small group, to a corner and dragged a large, torn slab of paper into the open.

"And there's a patch of spilled paint back here." Pounce leapt to his feet.

"We could all make him a birthday card!" Jemima came over and stood by Pouncival.

"Good idea," Bomba followed them.

"All right," Cassandra sighed resignedly. They all walked down a small alleyway that had been created by the surrounding walls of rubbish on either side. Pouncival was already stepping in the puddle of blue paint.

"Bring the paper, Misto!"

Mistoffelees came forward, dragging the paper strip between his teeth. He pressed it down flat on the ground and Pouncival abruptly jumped onto it, leaving blue impressions of his feet behind on it.

"C'mon!" He urged Jemima and Misto forward, nudging them from behind.

Everyone proceeded to dip a paw in the paint, and place it on the paper, leaving their own blue mark. Pouncival had all four paws in the paint, and was slipping about in it. He kicked some up at Mistoffelees, which splashed by his face.

"Hey, Pounce! Watch it," Misto complained.

Pouncival clamped a paw to his mouth the stifle his laughter. Then he suddenly remembered that it was covered in blue paint. He gave a small yelp and lost his footing. He slipped in the slimy liquid and landed with a squelch on his backside in the paint puddle. Misto, Jemima, and Rumpel howled with laughter. Bomba smirked at him as he tried to stand up.

"Pounce," cried Misto, "Your bum is blue!" The kittens continued to laugh. Cassandra would have rolled her eyes, but she was so absorbed in trying to wash the sticky, blue paint from her own paw that she had signed the card with.

They each took turns blowing on the card, or fanning it with their tails, to make the paint dry faster. Once it didn't smear under Rumpelteazer's paw anymore, and Pouncival had managed to stand up and begin to dry off, they decided it was time to surprise the birthday cat. Each cat gathered up the gift they had brought, and, with the kittens shushing each other in turn, they all set off, padding quietly to Asparagus' den.


	4. Surprise?

Rumpelteazer slunk up to Asparagus' den and peered silently inside. The old tom was facing with his back toward the entrance and quietly occupied. Teazer signaled for the others to gather around his den, placing a paw to her mouth for silence. Each cat holding their own gift, they snuck up by Rumpelteazer, waiting to give the surprise. Mistoffelees counted to three wordlessly.

"Surprise!" They all burst through his den, holding his presents aloft and shouting.

Asparagus jumped slightly at the sound of all their voices. He turned around to face them all, smiling bewilderedly, and came over to investigate.

"Happy birthday, Asparagus!" Pouncival held forth the card they'd created for him, covered in paw prints.

Asparagus accepted it, smiling warmly, and glancing at Pouncival's blue muzzle. "Why, thank you, everyone. It's lovely! Did you all make this?"

Pouncival nodded quickly. Jemima, Misto, and Bomba held up a few blue paws. Asparagus chuckled.

"And we each brought you presents as well," Cassandra stepped forward.

"Oh, my!" Asparagus smiled, quite surprised.

Cassandra brought forth her pink powder puff and placed it at Asparagus' feet. He looked down at it, quietly examining it. Cassandra stepped backward and Bombalurina came forward with her ribbon, laying it at his feet. Asparagus still said nothing, and she shuffled backward. A small wave of shame began to move through the cats. They each looked down at the gift they had to give. How small and pitiful they looked! Pouncival and Misto dropped their Junkyard creation with the other gifts, tails trailing in the dirt. Pouncival's cheeks burned as he stared at the rusty can, the frayed yarn, and the old box. _It isn't even a real present,_ he thought._ It isn't even a real _anything_ at all. _Asparagus looked closely at it, but still said nothing. Misto swallowed. Jemima nosed the ball over and added it to the pile. It jingled lightly as it went. Asparagus looked her in the eyes as she deposited it, and Jemima backed up humbly. Last of all, Rumpelteazer dragged her paws as she stepped forward, looking the meekest of all. She dropped the feathers on top of the other offerings, and they fluttered down one by one. Ears falling, she returned to sit down with the others. Misto's whiskers were drooping considerably low. They sat with baited breath, musing over the insignificance of their gifts.

Asparagus reached down and gathered up each gift. He picked up the junk contraption and examined it lightly. Pouncival cringed.

Asparagus turned it over in his paws. He smiled.

Misto spoke, "It's not much, but..." he couldn't finish.

Asparagus looked up, his expression showed compassion and almost a sadness that the two tomkits felt this way. Misto and Pounce were held in his gaze for a moment. Their spirits lifted slightly, their ears and whiskers rising as well. Asparagus looked on both of them fondly, his eyes shining with affection. Every cat's shame began to dissolve away, replaced with a small hope.

Asparagus arranged the kits' creation on the ground. He carefully folded the card in half, and placed it gently inside the box. He then took the pink powder puff and put it in the box as well. He picked up Jemima's ball, and placed it in the can, where it bounced with a merry jingle. He lifted up the beautiful ribbon and tied it in a careful and elegant bow on the ragged, yellow yarn. Last of all, smiling, he gathered the speckled pheasant feathers, one by one, and placed them in an array in the tin can. He laid a paw on each individual gift fondly, and then picked up the new, whole gift as if it were a precious treasure.

"This," he said, smiling affectionately at Pouncival and Mistoffelees, "is _exactly_ what I needed."

The two tomkits glowed with pride. They stood up and hugged him, purring. Asparagus chuckled, looking up at the others, inviting them in on the furry hug. Bomba, Jemima, Rumpel, and finally Cassandra made their way over to him, finding their place in the warm, fuzzy embrace.

"'Appy birfday!" Rumpel squeaked.

Asparagus gave a warm laugh.

"Thank you, cats," he purred. "You've made an old tom's birthday perfect."


End file.
